On racetracks worldwide, the letter “GTR” stands for respectable terror. Here are a handful of the incredible vehicles we considered included on our list.
Gran Turismo Racers, or GTRs, have long been used to refer to the most elite cars. An official GTR emblem may only be obtained in Japan, Italy, Germany, or the UK; it cannot be bought. While there is no disputing the 2017 Mercedes-AMG GT R’s accomplishments, which other AMG-badged vehicles are people preferring? Each of the seven GTRs we’ve selected—the best there have ever been—has had a successful racing and road career.
This is a McLaren F1 GTR.
Even though the F1 was the 1990s’ fastest production vehicle, McLaren treated it like a racecar. The F1 GTR rose to international fame when it took first, third, and fourth in the 1995 24-hour race at Le Mans.
The F1 was designed to be the “ultimate road car,” but for the now-famous BMW V12 to power it, Gordon Murray had to be persuaded to accept alterations. To compete in the GT1 class of World Sportscar Racing against cars like the F40 LM and 911 Turbo, he ultimately gave in in 1995 and had the vehicle reinforced and stripped down.
Nine original F1 GTRs raced in the races after undergoing modifications such as the addition of cooling ducts, a big rear wing, and an engine output restrictor that set the engine’s output to 600 horsepower. Later versions of these cars were altered for usage on public roads after their racing careers were made.
R34 GT-R Nissan Skyline
The R34 Skyline GT-R, one of the most sought-after automobiles of the late 1990s and early 2000s, has helped to solidify this image. The four-wheel-drive Skyline, which typically produced around 280 horsepower, was years ahead of every other touring vehicle of its day. It became famous for crushing its competitors from prior generations in the Bathurst 1000.
The last few R34s built had a twin-turbocharged straight-six engine with a peak speed of 186 mph. However, the R35, which came next shortly, stood out in comparison to the preceding Skyline.
In response to consumer complaints about the size of the R33, the length of the R34 was trimmed, and the V-spec cars received cutting-edge features, including G-force sensors, lap timers, and a carbon fiber rear diffuser. Even though finding one in immaculate condition in the UK could be challenging, most car enthusiasts consider the R34 Skyline GTR the pinnacle of performance.
BMW M3 GTR (E46)
The E46 M3 GTR was an absolute beast with a 4.0-liter V8 engine that generated 444 horsepower, rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual gearbox, and a 0-60 time of 3.4 seconds. After seeing limited success with the brand’s conventional inline six-pot in racing, BMW engineers collaborated with Williams F1 to build the GTR’s V8 for the 2001 season.
In the American Le Mans Series GT class, the M3 GTR’s V8 engine helped defeat the Porsche 911 GT3-R. The straight-six Beamer had previously been quickly demolished by the Porsche. Porsche complained about BMW’s performance in 2001, and BMW was accused of breaking the law by using a powerplant that wasn’t designed for use in road vehicles. Ten GTRs that can be driven on public roads were manufactured. Although it has been condemned to racing obscurity due to legislative changes that increased the number of road vehicles necessary for homologation, the V8 E46 is recognized as a representative of Munich’s outstanding motorsport tradition.
It’s a Lamborghini Diablo GTR.
For the Diablo Supertrophy one-make race series, the Diablo GTR was a factory-built racing special. In 2003, the GTR, a supercar based on the Diablo GT, competed in several Australian events. Eighth at Bathurst was its best placing.
One of the last Diablo models before the Murcielago took place, the single-seat supercar generated 590 horsepower and 472 pound-feet of torque.
CLK GTR Mercedes-Benz
Every enthusiast’s dream car in the 1990s was the CLK GTR, a Gran Turismo classic. To meet the rules of the FIA GT Championship, a small number of homologated road vehicles with full carbon fiber bodywork and exotic V12 engines producing more than 600 horsepower were created.
Unbeknownst to most, AMG bought a McLaren F1 GTR to use as a benchmark for assessing how competitive their vehicle was after the championship-winning campaign the year before. Mercedes won the first racing season ahead of McLaren despite having just 128 days from the technical blueprints to physical completion.
The R35 GTR by Nissan
The R35 immediately comes to mind when you hear “GTR.” Nissan dominated the supercar industry after launching a new generation of high-performance vehicles in 2007 and making only minor enhancements in the following years. The R35’s impressive acceleration, which easily surpasses supercars like the Ferrari and Lamborghini in the quarter-mile, has helped the GTR earn a reputation over the previous ten years.
The Nissan GTR can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than three seconds thanks to its advanced launch control technology, breaking the previous record held by the Porsche 911 Turbo S. Maranello will still have to compete with the upgraded GTR when it eventually goes on sale since it has a powerful four-wheel drive system that provides a face-melting level of grip.
Carrera GTR Porsche 924
Despite being the newest of the bunch, the Porsche 924 also featured a challenging, sometimes overlooked variation. The Carrera GTR is one of the rarest Porsches since just 17 of them were ever made.
The GTR can reach 60 mph in less than 4.7 seconds and has 275 more horsepower than the standard 924. Impressive for a front-engine sports vehicle from the early 1980s. To learn more about the next 924 Carrera GTR auction, visit.
Do you know of any GTRs that I may have missed? We’ve heard it all before, so please don’t offer us more advice on P1 GTRs.
